CVP Reservoirs At Lowest Since 2009

Six key reservoirs of the federal Central Valley Project are at the lowest levels since 2009, when the state was officially in a drought. Some farmers are expecting zero-percent water allocations in 2014.

"Which means a huge loss of economic value, revenue that would come into not only the region but the state,” she says.

But it won’t be the only problem.

“We’re also probably talking about a further exacerbation of groundwater problems," says Chris Scheuring with the California Farm Bureau Federation.

"Folks in a pinch have to turn to groundwater and turn on their pumps when the ditches are dry. And we’re already in a bad situation in that regard with respect to over-drafted aquifers in certain spots,” he says.

The CVP provides water for three million acres of farmland in the Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley and central coast, as well as millions of urban users.

The US Bureau of Reclamation will announce preliminary allocations in late January